
Italy's Lombardy picks group using Starlink to test satcom services
Lombardy, home to Italy's financial capital Milan, launched a tender for a 4.1 million euro project to test wholesale systems combining fibre and satellite-based networks to bring fast Internet connections in remote and poorly served areas.
A joint proposal from Swisscom's Fastweb (SCMN.S), opens new tab and Italian defence group Leonardo (LDOF.MI), opens new tab satellite unit Telespazio has been awarded the pilot project, a regional document showed on Thursday.
A source close to the matter said the test is expected to involve the use of Starlink's satellite constellation.
Telespazio, a joint venture between Leonardo and French peer Thales (TCFP.PA), opens new tab last year secured an agreement with Elon Musk's low orbit satellite unit Starlink to commercialise its satellite service.
Italy is grappling with delays in state-backed rollout plans for ultra-fast terrestrial telecoms networks for households in sparsely populated areas, with latest European Union data pointing to a coverage of 36.8% last year against an EU average of about 60%.

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The Sun
9 hours ago
- The Sun
Viktor Gyokeres' father ‘reduced to TEARS as Sporting star's Arsenal transfer could collapse… and Man Utd reenter race'
VIKTOR GYOKERES' distraught dad was reportedly 'reduced to tears' after hearing that the striker's move to Arsenal might COLLAPSE at the final hurdle. The ongoing saga over Gyokeres' future is taking its toll on the Sporting ace and his family, with negotiations stalling after initially agreeing on a fee. 4 4 Arsenal and Sporting are apparently battling over bonus payments and the schedule of instalments, with Sporting pushing for more up-front cash. It emerged last Sunday that the clubs have verbally agreed a five-year-deal in principle worth an initial £55million plus £8.6m in add-ons and bonuses. But the two sides have hit a deadlock in discussions over the structure of said add-ons. With talks dragging on, Arsenal have been unable to sign Gyokeres in time for their pre-season tour of Asia, kicking off on Wednesday against AC Milan. And the delay is reportedly effecting the Gyokeres family, who are worried that his dream move might he slipping away. A new report from Portuguese outlet Abola has detailed how the player's dad Stefan burst into tears over Sporting's handling of the situation. Sporting are showing no signs of softening their stance over their demands, with Arsenal 's latest bid remaining unanswered for the last SIX DAYS. Gyokeres is close with his family, with his uncle revealing during Sporting's title celebrations in May, that several people close to the Sweden striker wanted him to stay in Portugal at the time. 4 But that seems miles away from where Gyokeres stands now. The 27-year-old couldn't make it any clearer that he doesn't want to return to Sporting, with new footage of a removal van outside his Lisbon home quickly going viral a few days ago. Noni Madueke joins Arsenal in £52million transfer from Chelsea as Arteta's spending spree set to reach almost £200m 4 Sporting president Frederico Varandas said Gyokeres could face disciplinary action after he refused to return to pre-season training and missed out on travelling to the Algarve for their camp. Varandas has been outspoken on negotiations and continues to insist the player will not be allowed to leave unless the club's demands are met. But Arsenal's failure to agree terms for their most desperate position on the pitch could come back to bite them. It comes after Manchester United reportedly made a last-gasp move to hijack the deal this weekend. Record report that United are prepared to offer a higher bid than Mikel Arteta 's side, worth between £60million to £69million. The newspaper notes that Gyokeres - who played under Ruben Amorim at Sporting - still only wants to join Arsenal, but it is still a curveball. If the club get a deal for Gyokeres over the line, the striker would likely have to wait until August 6 when the Gunners host Villarreal in their first pre-season game back from Asia. After that, Arteta's side conclude their summer preparations against Athletic Club, before ironically kicking off the Premier League season away at Old Trafford.


Daily Mail
13 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The village that can't PAY people to live there - despite offering families £90,000 to move in
An idyllic Italian village is willing to give people €100,000 to move in and revamp crumbling villas - but no one's taking up on the offer. Despite being renowned for its beautiful mountain ranges, the northern Italian region of Trentino has suffered with a declining population in recent years. In response, local authorities launched a new housing initiative aimed at revitalising as many as 33 towns at risk of becoming deserted. Under the scheme, buyers are offered a grant of €100,000 - €80,000 towards renovation and €20,000 to help them purchase a derelict home. The only condition is they must commit to living at the property or renting it out for at least 10 years. Failing to meet these conditions could result in the grant having to be repaid. Applications are accepted in rounds lasting three to four months. The first round opened in May, and by its close on June 30, the initiative had received 291 applications. However, one town, Sagron Mis, failed to attract a single applicant. Nestled at the foot of the Dolomites, Sagron Mis is a commune made up of two villages, Sagron and Mis. It's renowned for its stunning natural beauty and boasts numerous hiking trails and observation points. But despite its appeal, the town does come with challenges. With just one shop to serve its 170 residents, access to essential services is limited. 'We have the post office, the cooperative,' said the town's mayor, Marco Depaoli.' But we are lacking in the presence of a general practitioner.' Still, Depaoli remains optimistic. 'It's not a drama. It takes patience. There is no deadline, it is not a rejection of the town,' he said. 'I wouldn't make it a casus belli.' While no formal applications were received the major says there has been strong interest. 'Fifteen people have contacted our municipal offices to ask what the rule is, how it works, how to proceed to obtain funding,' he said. He also cited the limited housing stock as another hurdle. 'There are about fifteen houses for sale. We need to see if they meet the conditions, and if those who buy them are interested in the financing proposal,' he explained. 'We have several second homes, and people often do not sell them.' Depaoli hopes that when the next application window opens in September, more people will consider relocating to what he describes as a 'beautiful, respected place with great future potential.' The Trentino government has allocated more than €10million to the initiative since it launched in 2024. The scheme includes municipalities in areas like Val di Non, Val di Sole, Primiero, Valsugana, and others. Towns such as Bresimo, Livo, Rabbi, and Vermiglio are participating. Other areas like Primiero, Alpe Cimbra (Luserna), and Valsugana (Castello Tesino, Cinte Tesino, Grigno) are also involved. Both Italian nationals and foreign residents are eligible to apply. President of Trento, the capital of Trentino, said: 'The goal is to revitalise local communities and promote territorial cohesion.' The new scheme comes after the '1 euro housing' initiative launched in Italy in 2017. Several Italian towns, particularly in Sicily, launched initiatives to sell abandoned houses for the symbolic price of 1 euro to combat depopulation and revitalize historic centers. The scheme attracted international attention and led to the revitalization of many towns. Buyers typically need to commit to renovating the property within a specified timeframe and pay associated fees and taxes. A British man who bought a house in Italy for the bargain price of just €1/85p recently revealed he now has hundreds of people desperate to rent it out. George Laing, 32, bought the derelict three-storey property in Mussomeli, a town in Sicily, in December 2022. The Brit purchased the bargain home under a renovation scheme set up by the council. Once George had paid for admin fees, agency costs and energy certificates, the purchase price came to €5,000/£4,300. And George, who works as an antiques trader, now splits his time between Mussomeli and Eastbourne. He says he spent less than £10,000 renovating the home, despite it requiring a lot of renovations. George had to fix the home's leaky roof, set up electricity and have the water supply reconnected. The enterprising Brit did nearly all of the improvements himself but admits there were some difficulties along the way, including when a storm hit and 'buckets of water' came in the house. George revealed: 'I wouldn't say it's a completely glamourous lifestyle, but it's definitely a rewarding one.' The antiques trader has been sharing the journey on his Instagram (@george_laing_) and claims that more than 500 followers have requested to rent the home. He says: 'It's been the best decision I've made. I've got a waiting list of more than 500 people waiting to rent my home out. 'I just use my website and a booking form, I don't have to use or Airbnb - it's edging up to nearly 600 people now.' George has now bought a second €1/85p home in Mussomeli, due to the positive reaction he's had.


Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Only 16pc of Italians would fight for their country
Only 16 per cent of Italians would be willing to fight for their country, a survey shows. The Centre for Social Investment Studies (CENSIS) found that almost a third of Italians believe the country will be directly involved in a war within five years, but fewer than one in six of those of fighting age would be willing to take up arms. After years of escalating geopolitical tensions and two ongoing wars nearby, in Ukraine and the Middle East, Italy has joined other Nato nations in pledging to ramp up national defence spending. But that has not translated to a fresh desire to join the military. Some 39 per cent of Italians aged between 18 and 45 would declare themselves as pacifist conscientious objectors in the event of war, while 19 per cent would try to evade conscription another way, and 26 per cent would prefer Italy to hire foreign mercenaries. Despite a 46 per cent rise in defence spending over the past decade, Italy is one of Nato's lowest military spenders, targeting only 1.49 per cent of its gross domestic product for its military last year. Italy has also refused to participate in Donald Trump's plan to send US-made weapons to Ukraine. Governments across Europe are pondering whether to take part in the $10bn initiative, which will involve Ukraine's allies on the continent, along with Canada, buying 'top of the range' weapons – including Patriot air defence systems – from Washington before giving them to Kyiv. The Italian government has stated that it will not purchase weapons but may assist with the logistics of transporting them to Ukraine, according to Italian media reports. 'Here, there has never been talk of buying American weapons,' the source quoted by the La Stampa newspaper said. To ensure Italy's security, 49 per cent of all Italians are in favour of strengthening Nato, while 58 per cent would like to see an integrated European Union defence system, with a single army, under a unified command and joint weapons procurement. Last month, Italy said it would count the £11 billion cost of a bridge to Sicily as defence spending to meet Nato's 5 per cent of GDP military expenditure target. Giorgia Meloni, the prime minister, is in the process of rebadging the ailing project to build a crossing over the Strait of Messina as a strategic decision vital for the Western alliance's presence in the Mediterranean. She has argued that the bridge would strengthen Europe's defences by facilitating easier troop movements to the four military bases in Sicily. By listing the crossing as a military asset, it can be counted towards the new Nato goal, which demands fresh expenditure on defence-related infrastructure. The move mirrors efforts by Sir Keir Starmer to boost Britain's defence spending by reclassifying swathes of infrastructure projects as vital to national security. The Prime Minister will use any Government expenditure on rural broadband and the expansion of Heathrow airport to meet Nato's goal of spending 1.5 per cent of GDP on defence-related infrastructure.